Everything you need to know about detoxing

You’ve all heard of this fashionable trend making the rounds. A trend that is synonymous with beauty and wellness and it’s the infamous detox. Whether you’re looking for clear skin, a flat tummy, or even that healthy glow, detoxing is quite the popular health route to take. Of course, as tradition goes, topical treatments can only go so far and since you are what you eat (quite literally) it only makes sense to do an internal cleanse too.

So, what is detoxing?While you sip on your lemon infused cucumber water, here’s a little food for thought – what do you really mean by “detoxing”? Technically speaking, detoxification is the process through which the body automatically flushes out any toxins that lurk within. This means anything from alcohol, to inhaled and ingested pollutants present in the air, and various foods and water. Essentially, this happens in two stages – one where the liver filters the blood with antioxidants, and two where the body helps you excrete the crap (again, quite literally) by dissolving it with essential chemicals from foods.

Why do you need to do it?If you’re a little confused as to why would one go on a detox if their body is already doing it without any effort, here’s why. Your liver and kidneys don’t really get paid overtime for doing their job, but they’re happy to do it – however they do need help from external sources in order to be more efficient. Your liver basically filters around 1.4 litres of blood per minute – and you thought you were overworked.A binge party with toxins isn’t avoidable and this doesn’t just include that last shot of tequila your body has to fight, but also the pollutants which you breathe in on a daily basis. Therefore, when you say you’re going on a detox, you essentially mean you’re giving your body a mini-break from the toxins you can control, while taking in really good micronutrients that will effectively help eliminate the ones present. Going on a diet, cutting out on alcohol and caffeine, eating healthy, living clean, all means you’re supporting healthy function of your organs and giving it that much deserved shower it really requires.

By doing so, you flush out and eliminate toxins that cause harm, resulting in healthy glowing skin. It’s pretty much like hitting reset on your system and starting with a clean slate.